VERNON - Predator Ridge will be hosting a community FireSmart information and training session on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, at the corner of Niblick Way and Falcon Point Way at Predator Ridge. The free event is open to everyone and will include a demonstration on what homeowners can do to FireSmart their own homes and photo boards that display before and after images of clearing activities that help minimize the risk to properties in the event of a wildfire.

Predator Ridge community members have been working closely with Vernon Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) to be recognized as a FireSmart Community, which will be completed before the end of 2016 with a number of clean-up activities and training sessions scheduled for the rest of the year. This process began in May 2015 with the first community FireSmart day. A Wildfire Community Hazard Assessment was recently completed by VFRS, and earlier this year, the Predator Ridge Community FireSmart Initiative was approved for a provincial grant to advance the community’s efforts in making the area less susceptible to wildfire.

“As we have learned from Fort McMurray, Slave Lake and Kelowna, wildfire has the capacity to impact our personal safety and cause extensive damage to our property whether we live in heart of the city or on its edge,” said VFRS Deputy Chief Lawrie Skolrood. “Being prepared for fire needs to be everyone’s concern.”

OPINION Editor, This is a busy time of year, but I find it’s also a time of reflection, particularly as January marks the end of my two-year term as Chair and my 10 years serving on the Board of Interior